Stoker



May 3, 1938, W w. T. HANA 12,116,115

STOKER Y Filed Deals, 1930 s Sheets-sheet 1 /y K \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\II lNvENToR vWILLIAM THOMPSON HANNA` BY um NL ATTORNEYS May 3, 1938.

fw. T. HANNA STOKER Filed Dec. 13,"1930 ATTORNEYS s sheets-sheet 2 Patented May 3, 193s N ,'UNl'riezo STATES PATE-N1- 1' 2.116,1?15w i c s'roxsn 1 c William Thompson Hanna, Cincinnati, Ohio ffApplicatienpember 1a 1s3o, sensi Nu. stanzia feclaims. (ci. 11o-101)` This invention relates to stokers in general and c "particularlysuch as may beused upon locomo- `1 tives and the like. 1 1 c .c c `One ofthe `objects of the `invention is to pro- 5 vide a stoker whicliis simpleand durable in conc struction and efficient in action. 1 1.

This 1and other objects, general and particuv`lar,` will] bebest'seen byrefer'ence to the accomc panying drawings, in which:` c 1 1 u l Fig. 1 is alvertical axial section throughs.` stoking mechanism as shownmounted on fthe back 11 head of a locomotive;` c 11 1 1 .c 1 1 1 Fig. 2 is atopplan vicewlpartly 1in sectiontion) showing fuel manipulating worms; l,

15 Fig. 3 is` an enlargedjside elevationlpartly 1 in section)` of a tapered wormembodying the int vention;` 1 c 1 1 1 c 1 Fig. 4 is a detailed side elevation `of the worm 1 shown in Fig. 3, illustrating diagrammatically the double taper profile of the periphery of thespiral vane; and, l Y 1 c 1 Fig. 511is a1 partiallongitudinal sectional view ,of the worm shown in Fig. 3,1showing characterl istics of the vane structure in relation to the 12511h1ub portion.`1 1 1c 1 Referring particularly to Fig. 1 of the draw.. 1

" ings, the1stoker mechanism is shown in connection with the fire box"|4 of a locomotive in which thebusual back head i5-is provided with a fir- 30 ingopening I6. Surrounding the firing opening and rigidly mounted on the back head is a fuel supplyhousingl1 having theusual hand-firing opening I8. Mounted upon the fuel supply hous- 1 ing l1 and positioned within the firing opening 35 I6 are suitable fuel distributing means including,1 a multiple blast-chamber l! and a distrib-` utor plate 20; Steam pressures of different intensities may be supplied to different portions of the blast chamber i9. 40 The lowerportion of thehousing I1 forms a fianged. `conduit section to which is rigidly attached an extension conduit 2i, having its outer endarranged to form a universal bearing support vfor the forward end of a transferconduit receives fuel from a hopper conveyor (not shown) 1 customarily located beneath1 the 1 locomotive tender...1 1 t c 1 1 Rotatably mounted in the conduitl22 and suitably driven by mechanism (not shown), is a l 1 transfer conveyor 25 in the form of a spiral vane or worm and `its forwardend projects a substantial distance into thegconduit 2i. The blade of 1 `the conveyor` 25 has its forward end tapered for a distance substantially the extent of its prol0 jectionbeyond the end` of the conduit 22, and it c has been found in practice thatthis assists in elevating the fuel into the fuel supplyhousing Referring particularly to1Figs'. 1 and'2`, it will 15 be seen that within the housing Hand adjacent the `firing opening I6 there are mounted revolublelmembers 53and 54. These members form fuel conditioning 4and handling rneanswhlch act uponthe fuel entering the housing `from the 20 conduit 22 to place the same inthe most advantageous conditlonfor presentation to the fire and particularly to reduce any substantially solidified masses thereof `which may be formed 'as a resultV of coherence of the parts or particles 26 under pressure or` otherwise. ,Such meansalso serves to advance the conditioned fuel tothe distributing means in a mannerto insure effective action thereof. Thermernbers 53 and 5I, as shown, are in the form of spiral .worms or vanes tapering toward their free forward ends. This taper may be made to vary in degree in different portions of the member as diagramt maticaliy illustrated in Fig. 4. It will be seen that the taper in the forward portion isgreater than in the rear portion, the change in taper occurring at a point substantially midway in the length of the vane or blade. With this construction the fuel handling capacity of each worm, or screw, is materially increased at its larger end. A sectional view of one of these Amembers is shown in Fig. 5 in which it will be evident that the rear face of the vane or blade is substantially at a right angle to the axis of rotation and the forward face is arranged at a f substantial angle to the rear face. `'This formation of the member has been found to` give very satisfactory results.

Referringagain particularly to Fig. 2, the fuel supply housing i1 has a portion 55 arranged in 50 the form of a, ledge over which the `fuel flows l as it is carried into the nrlng opening by the actionof the members 53 and 54. Not only is it desirable-to provide a control for the volume of fuelpassing over the ledge 55, but it is also 55 advisable to have means for directing more or less volume toward the right side or toward the left side of the ring opening as occasion requires. This result may be accomplished in various ways, but I have here shown laterally adjustable members and 51 slidably mounted in the respective sides of housing I 'l and slidable over the ledge 55 and blast chamber I9. The members 55 and 51 are pivotally-connected to operating levers 58 and 59 by means of which the lateral position of the said members may be controlled each independently. In this way, greater or lesser volume may be permitted to flow over the said ledge and the quantities of fuel directed toward the right or left sides may be varied. These adjustable members are preferably arranged for adjustment in an angular direction relative to the edge of the ledge 55 as shown clearly in Fig. 2.

Power for the operation of the stoker may be supplied by any suitable power device and transmitted therefrom to the moving elements in any convenient manner.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 3, the worms or fuelhandling members are driven from a worm suitably driven by an engine (not shown). The worm 8U, through suitable worm gears 84, drives shafts and 55, which respectively drive the worms 53 and 54. Referring to Fig. 3, the shaft 86 drives its worm 54 through lbevelled miter gears 89 and 90. Similar miter gears are provided for the worm 53.

In the operation ofthe stoker mechanism, the conveyor 25 transfers fuel forwardly from the locomotive tender (not shown) and delivers the coal into the fuel-supply housing I1, where, due to the contour of this housing, the fuel is presented to the fuel-handling or conditioning members 53 and 54. Further movement of the fuel is controlled by the action of these members 53 and 54 and the fuel is thereby caused to pass into the fire box, above the level of the fire, flowing over the ledge 55 which extends across the firing opening. The fuel subsequently falls upon and flows by gravity over the blast chamber I9 and upon the distributing plate 20 from which it is scattered over the fire by means of the blasts of steam emitting from the jets of the blast chamber.

'Ihe form and arrangement of the fuel-handling and conditioning members 53 and 54 insure efficient operation thereof and the passage of the fuel to the distributing means in the most advantageous manner and condition. The driving mechanism for the fuel-handling and conditioning members in the form shown is an assembled unit.

As many other embodiments may be made of the features of this invention without departing from the scope thereof, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown, is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limgenerally below and to the rear of said edge and f extending transversely of said conduit, for transforming the fuel into form relatively thinner than the bulk of the fuel in the conduit, said worm being tapered and the taper of the larger part of said worm having a smaller angle of inclination than the taper of the smaller part.

2. For use in a locomotive stoker having a conduit extending to and embracing a firing opening of a fire box, the lower forward edge of said conduit forming a ledge over which fuel flows; a tapered fuel handling screw recessed in said conduit generally below and to the rear of said ledge and pointing from the side of said conduit toward the center thereof, said screw having a single flight and the angle of inclination of the taper of said screw being greater at the small end of the screw than at the larger end thereof whereby the fuel handling capacity at the larger end is materially increased.

WILLIAM THOMPSON HAN'NA. 

